The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1887-09-01
new york DIVERS
rhs Risls. WORRIES and PruGts q . Dss
gerous Business


rhs Rista, Worries and PruGts q . Dss-
gsrous Businesa-
'tDid ever see dead man sitting ID
q chair in . staterOom and bending
over 3 book as though be had been
reading when he was drowned? Never.
Nor has any other diver. I've been IN
sunken steomers that were full Of
corpses There was. for instance. the
Hamburg steamer Cimbria, which
went down in the North Sea some i've
years ago with five hundred emigrants
] and tEo other divers from here. who
were sent for to help in getting out the
cargo. literally worked among hundreds
of eOrpses A diver working a vessel
for ccrpses feels for them along the
ceilings If the wreck is older than =
couple Of days 1.-The goes into her only
day or two after she went down he
feels along both the floors and ceilings
That's where the cOrpses are not in
chairs"
why did they send away over here
for divers TO 60 down into the Gin
brias"
because New York divers are on
the top Of the heap. The reason is
that most Of their work is done in the
dark; for fits pitch dark under the
water around New York. l suppose
it's on account Of the sewage. diver
from other waters can't work in those
around New York But New York
diver can work in the clear waters
elsewhere twice as fast as the
local divers, because his sense Of touch
sense Of touch under water-is so
finely developed. We New York divers
can tell various metals, If they are I'M
der water, apart by sense Of touch; but
II they are not under water we can feel
no difference between them. Here. for
instance. are piece Of copper and a
piece Of brass. Put them ON the table
and blindfold me, and 1 can't tell
which is which. Chuck 'cm in the
basin and pour water over them and
can tell the moment :Ouch the pieces
which is the copper and which is the
brass. You see we New York divers
have 10 ply all kinds Of trades in the
dark.
eff green hand came to me and
wanted % learn the profession Of div
ing, the first thing Id advise him would
be Ia 20 10 sea till he'd learned the ms
and outs Of all kinds Of vessels and how
10 handle and store cargo. Then he's
pretty competent 70 work wrecks.
Next I'd tell him to learn all kinds Of
trades For we don tcOnsider working
wrecks a very fine line of the profession.
The real fine work is when a diver hEs
to ply some trade such as carpentering
or pipe laying. under water. For in
stance. very line job was the laying
OF the line of pipe for the Health De-
partment from Port Morris TO North |
Brother Island. The diver had to keep |
the line straight, unpack the pipe, put |
it together. and. in fact. do in the dark |
the work Of skillful pipelayer."
What does a divers outfit consist |
OFF"
"a boat, a pump. hose. lines and |
dress. The dress consists Of layers Of |
duck and rubber. The shoes weigh |
twenty pounds each. On his chest and |
back he carries fOrty-pOund weights.
The helmet, when it has been placed |
over the divers head. is firmly screwed |
into a copper collar that is attached to
his dress. A weighted line is sunk to
the spot he is % reach. and down that
line he goes with the life line around /
his waist and the hose. through which /
the air is pumped. attached TO his he'll
met Those who handle the lifeline
and hose must regulate these as he
moves about below"
What are q divers working day
and wages?"
-Four hours and s.. II he furnishes
his own apparatus his wages are higher
$50 70 $50 a day. For getting a
hawser out of a steamers screw I'D
charge $50 if furnished my own APP
paratus"
IL suppose part of the charge is for
the risks you run?"
ayes. a diver is exposed TO a good
many dangers. One of them, you'll
be surprised 10 learn. is falling asleep.
On hot day the contrast between the
heat above and the delicious GOODNESS
below wafer is apt TO make 3 diver
sleepy. once slept an hour and =
half at the bottom of a wreck near
Kingston. where was laying pipe.
Suppose that had happened in the
channel near Governors Island, where
the tide runs so swift that a diver can
work only during the one hour Of slack
water. II I'D slept over that one hour
the deadly rush Of tide would have
snapped the life line and hose. Then
in working wrecks there is the danger
of getting jammed in between the
freight or Of getting the hose or line
tangled. When the hose snaps the
frightful pressure kills the diver. He
is sickeningly distorted by it."
"Are there expert divers in New
York;"
"LoOkt" lie held out a shield
shaped badge. on which was engraved:
New York Divers License, +. G. No.
l."
What does the F. C. stand for?''
"FirSt-class. There are only about
a dozen Of those badges out I'm No.
Robert S. Russell, or Funeral Bob
as they call me. Among the others
are William Carl. or Buffalo Bill; Jim
Hicks. Jack Bundy. Jack Chittendeu.
Ed Mcdonald. Frank Paul, Bill Smith
and Dan JOsliu ~. I. Cor. NJ q.
Times Democrat
Mora, said lady to her servant.